Noel Knows Too Much
by Caithrine Glidewell
Summary: How much did Noel hear when he walked in on Aria and Mr. Fitz? Does he know too much? ONE-SHOT
1. Chapter 1

**Noel Knows Too Much**

I walked down the empty halls afterschool. I still wasn't sure what had happened to Aria. She'd just disappeared after she'd taken that book. I hadn't seen her again, at her locker, or in class, and she still had two periods left in the day.

As I was walking down one hall I heard voices. I stopped and listened closer, and upon further inspection, I recognized Aria's voice floating from a teacher's room down the hall. I walked slowly, following the sound.

"… right thing," A male voice cam down the hall.

"For you," Aria's voice snapped back, "Not for me."

"That's not true," The male voice spoke again.

"Oh, really? We're gonna talk about truth now. Well, today's truth, or-or yesterday's, or last week's? Because honestly I don't know which of your stories to believe anymore! The-the 'I thought about you every second I was gone' story, or the ones that end with I'm outa here. But it wasn't my age that ruined us, Ezra, you did."

Ezra. The name stuck my mind. The name on the poem. Ezra Fitz, "Mr. Fitz?" I whispered in shock.

"Aria, please," I walked into the doorway then, looking in on Aria yelling at her English teacher, but I understood.

"No. I've moved on," She said handing him the book of poetry, "You should too."

"What's going on here?" I cut in.

Aria turned to look at me in the doorway, "Nothing," then turned back to Mr. Fitz, "There is absolutely nothing going on here," She said, and then walked to the door. I let her pass me, and stared angrily at the man several feet away from me.

"Is there something you'd like to say to me?" Mr. Fitz asked harshly.

There was a lot that I wanted to say to him. The anger I felt towards him for making Aria so upset was immense, but I thought it better not to pick a fight with a teacher and went after Aria.

Walking down the hall I could hear something crash in his room, but I didn't look back. I turned the corner to see Aria slumped against a locker, tears streaming down her face. I could tell that they had come harder with the noise.

"Aria," I said softly, walking to stand next to her.

She wiped tears away from her eyes, "Hey Noel."

I squatted down next to her, "You wanna talk about it?" I asked trying to be comforting.

"I can't," She huffed in a deep breath, "I'm sorry Noel… I just can't," she got up and started to walk away from me.

I stood up and called from behind her, "Take your time Aria, but we _need_ to talk about this."

She turned to look at me for a split second, then turned and left me standing alone in the hallway.

I didn't hear from her again other than a text to let me know she was on her way up to Mona's party and another to let me know she was on her way to the hospital with Hanna. I was unsure of weather our plans for Sunday were still solid, and I was about to call her Sunday morning when my doorbell rang. I went to go get it.

"Aria," I said in surprise.

"Yeah, we had plans right," She smiled.

"Yeah, I just wasn't sure… with Hanna and all…" I said offering a different reason than the truth for my insecurity.

She bit her lip and frowned, 'There's not much I can do. She's unconscious, and… there's nothing I can do."

I looked at her, our eyes sharing her pain, "I'm sorry," I opened my arms to give her a hug and she took it willingly. I pulled back a little and leaned down to give her a kiss. She kissed me back hesitantly, and it made me suspicious.

I took her into the house and put on a movie, playing along with her and hoping that she would bring it up herself. When we were nearly half an hour into the movie and she still said nothing, and was slowly moving farther away from me, barely in my arms anymore, I stopped the movie.

She looked up at me in confusion, "What's wrong Noel?"

I sighed, "We need to talk."

She sat up and stared at me surprised, "Noel…" she said in surprise.

"Aria," I closed my eyes, unsure of how to begin, "What happened the other day? Between you and…"

I opened my eyes to see her staring at me, obviously thinking about what she was going to say, "How much did you hear?"

"Enough," I said and my voice took on a acidic edge.

"Noel," she demanded more harshly, "How much did you hear?"

I sat up, "Everything from your rant about truth to 'I've moved on." I shook my head.

She swallowed. I could tell she was nervous, "I shouldn't have come," She said, standing.

I stood, too, stopping her by her shoulder, "Aria, wait,' I shook my head, "Why?"

It seemed like she was going to cry, but then her eyes hardened, "Because I cheated on you last night, Noel. I cheated," She took a deep breath and took my hand off her shoulder, "How much do you know?"

I was frozen solid, but I could feel the anger rising in me, "You're right. You _should_ go."

She took another deep breath through her nose the same way she had when she was Angry with Mr. Fitz, "Noel, How much. Do you know?" She broke the sentence down into two parts.

I returned with another question, "How well do you know Mr. Fitz, Aria?"

"I asked first," she retorted. We were dangerously close, our faces almost toughing.

I shook my head, "You have no right," I began to yell, "You just told me you cheated on me! So I deserve some damn answers! I know something's up. You and Mr. Fitz are closer than just teacher and student. You are closer than some… school girl crush! So tell me now, Aria, how well do you know Mr. Fitz?"

Her breath was heavy and fast, and suddenly something changed in her eyes. She reached up and grabbed my face, and kissed me angrily. I was so shocked at first that I did nothing, but I soon pushed her away, "What the hell are you doing, Aria!"

"I did something stupid last night," She admitted, "I know that. But it made me realize something. I belong here, with you."

I shook my head, "You're lying. Now answer the damn question!"

"He's the boy from Iceland! Okay!" She seemed close to tears now, but ones of fury, not of sadness. I looked at her. It wasn't _exactly_ the answer I'd been expecting, "I met him in Iceland, and I left him there. Little did I know, I come back to find him standing at the front of my English classroom!"

"Aria, don't lie to me anymore. It will only make it worse for you," I warned.

"What are you going to do? Tell the school that I went out with a teacher? It won't give you a better chance to go out with me! I'll surely be expelled too!"

"That's not what I meant Aria. I meant… were you with him last night?"

Aria paused, her breaths slowing slightly, "Yes."

"I think its time you get out Aria,' I said, trying to keep myself in check.

She frowned, "Noel, please-"

"Why should I? You cheated on me, Aria! With as teacher. With you're… fantasy guy from Iceland who you wouldn't go out with me because of before. Then, of course, I thought it was because you were sad he was gone. Now I know it was because you were sneaking around with him behind the world's back."

"Noel," she was on the verge of tears now, but it didn't pierce me, "Last night was the first time I'd been with him in weeks! I promise! Trust me. I care about you."

"No you don't. What was I to you? A cover up so the real world could never suspect your extra credit?" I could see that what I said cut deep.

"You came into my life at the worst time, Noel. When I met you, we'd just broken up. It was a few days before Homecoming, and he decided he couldn't trust me anymore. He left without a word. But- but then I met you! And you were there for me. And you loved me, and we could be together!"

"Then what happened? Why were you in his arms last night instead of mine?"

"That poem. B-26? He wrote it for me. I'd never seen it before in my life, but I did then. That's what we were arguing about when you found us. But he came to me last night up at the camp, and he apologized, and I gave in."

I nodded, "Are we over, Aria?" She just stared at me, apologies in her eyes, "Then I think it really is time for you to leave."

"Noel-"

"Don't. I promise I won't tell anyone," I swore solemnly.

"I don't want to give up what we have, Noel."

"We can't come out of this as friends," I told her.

She stepped forward, biting her lip and took my hand, "That's not what I was asking," She said seductively and leaned up to peck me on the lips.

"Aria-"

"You mean more to me," She assured me.

I took a deep breath, considering, "He's gone? He's… no longer a part of your life?"

"He won't be," she promised.

I leaned down to kiss her and melted into the feeling of us together…

**So, do you think Aria meant it, or do you think she's lying to protect Ezra? Tell me your thoughts in the reviews! If I can get 100 readers, I'll tell you all the answer!**


	2. Answer

You wanted an answer, and you got it. First I want to say thank you all so much for reading and helping me get 100 readers! Now do you want the answer? Was Aria being honest, or was she lying to protect Ezra?

In truth... she was lying to protect Ezra.

There you go, I said it. Let me know what you think!

~Caithrine


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